


The closer you get to the light...

by zeroism



Series: Kingdom Hearts Drabbles [3]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Character Study, Introspection, Other, Spoilers - Kingdom Hearts III
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-11-09 01:06:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17991899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeroism/pseuds/zeroism
Summary: He had glimpses, since that day. Not really visions, not really memories, just impressions. A permanent mark left on his half-heart, shaped like a boy with a bright smile, who smelled like sunlight and sea salt.





	The closer you get to the light...

Vanitas knew Sora.

They hadn't met face to face, but they didn't need to. Sora had been there, on a corner of his very being, ever since Ventus was patched up nice and clean by someone else's heart.

Ever since Vanitas looked in a mirror and, with no warning or fanfare, found that he now had a face.

It wasn't  _ his _ face. Not Ventus' face. Instead of curved blonde spikes, his reflection was wilder and darker, and he figured that suited him just fine until he could join back into his whole.

He had glimpses, since that day. Not really visions, not really memories, just impressions. A permanent mark left on his half-heart, shaped like a boy with a bright smile, who smelled like sunlight and sea salt. It wasn't strong enough to take his attention out of Ventus, just a constant presence.

When he loses, though.

When he and Ventus join, and split, and break so thoroughly neither them really exist anymore.

That presence is all he has.

A little bigger, stronger than he remembered, and growing even more so every day, but it is, undoubtedly, the boy who gave him his face.

Vanitas eats up the boy's sadness and anger: The fear of shooting stars. Anger over a destroyed sand castle. Pain when losing a spar to another boy. An odd, uncomfortable feeling when surrounded by the light of his two best friends, that grows with each passing day, until the storm comes and destroys all the boy knew as his life. Loss, betrayal.

How delectable, those emotions are. Not enough to heal Vanitas, just to keep him alive. Aware enough to experience Sora's journey, to watch as he loses and recovers and  _ saves _ , carries hurt silently in order to keep the people around him smiling.

What an idiot.

Vanitas knew Sora, but somehow, he wanted to meet Sora.

When he does finally awake in a world of fear and terror, Vanitas is afraid, yes, but excited.

He was darkness, but all lights must cast shadows; he could not exist without their two bright lights.

Nor could they shine so bright without a shadow being cast.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> ...the greater your shadow becomes.  
> But don't be afraid.


End file.
